It’s going to be difficult to sell cars if you don’t have any customers coming to your dealership. The good news is that there are a number of things that you can do to market your business and make it easier to get the traffic needed to meet your sales goals.
1- Use a Marketing Service
A marketing service will work with you to identify your target customer and create an ideal pitch to that group of people. In addition, such a service may also help you create a spending plan based on where your target demographic is. For instance, you may decide that you want to spend the majority of your money on television ads or decide to spend money on social media because your target market skews younger.
2- Seek Word-of-Mouth Referrals
Word-of-mouth is a great way to obtain new customers without having to spend any time or money finding them. You can also use organic search marketing tactics in an effort to get new business in a passive manner. Search engine marketing may include the use of long blog articles, videos, or any other type of content that people will share or talk about online.
3- Run Special Events
You can potentially increase foot traffic at the dealership by hosting special events for the community on a regular basis. For example, you could sell hot dogs for $1 or have face painting for the kids every Saturday during the summer season. You could also hold contests or have random drawings requiring that the winner be present to collect. This will hopefully draw customers of all ages who may be willing to buy or lease from your dealership.
4- Offer Free Appraisals
Those who are in the market for their next car might not be thinking about working with your dealership. However, offering a free appraisal may give them an excuse to stop by as part of the car-buying research process. Giving them an appraisal can open the door to asking questions about what they may be looking for, which can lead to a broader conversation and a trip down the sales funnel.
5- Guarantee a Set Amount for Each Trade
Offering potential customers a guaranteed amount for their trade may entice more people to come to your dealership in search of their next car. Even if you overvalue an individual trade, there are a number of ways to make up any money that you lose on the sale. For instance, you can recoup losses on the new vehicle markup or bank on the fact that you have a new customer coming to your service center for years to come.
If you are looking to start or grow your dealership, you’ll need to invest time and money into a coherent marketing strategy. Fortunately, there are a number of resources out there to help you develop and execute it. Furthermore, it may be possible to market your business without causing financial hardship or spending so much time that your attention is taken away from your core duties.
